The Lunatic Fringe Podcast

In our second of two episodes, we pass on a little more knowledge, passion and joy from the one and only Mr. Tom Noonan. "It's never goodbye, its only see you next time" - T.N   It's the return of Mr. Tom Noonan to talk a whole lot about safety!  At a time when more skydivers are less current than they've ever been, Tom has great information, tips and advice on everything from canopy choices and g...

In memory of one of skydivings most generous and the anniversary of his passing. He was one of the sports most avid cheerleaders, motivators, teachers and first and foremost, passionate jumpers. Please, take a step back in time to relive with us here at Lunatic Fringe a little of the positivity and joy for our sport brought to us each and every day by Mr. Tom Noonan. "It's never goodbye. It's only...

It honestly could have gone either way. A gift of a tandem skydive when he was only 14 years old, the experience proved to be overloading to say the least and Max Manow found himself torn between absolutely loving the experience and wanting to throw up. Luckily, skydiving and eventually many aspects of the airports world became his driving passion. Through part luck and part personal drive, Max wo...

Like so many before him, that first skydive was more on a whim than anything else. Ending up at an operation not too far from his grandparents home, Alberto Avalis may have seen parachutes in the sky before, but it wasn't until after that first jump that he knew. Working a construction job to pay for his new habit, it wasn't all that long before he knew that skydiving was the life for him. Now, af...

Guy Manos might not be a name a lot of newer jumpers are familiar with, but there is absolutely no doubt they are intimately familiar with his work. A University of Miami film-school graduate, a world skydiving champion, stuntman, screenwriter and director, Guy was one of the earliest pioneers of what the film industry now calls “pre-vis” --- the jumping off point, for all the CineLogic innovation...

Back in the can to bring us up to speed with life after Covid, Chris Stewart, test jumper and all-around bad ass for NZ Aerosports sits down once again to talk about getting back into the competition saddle, exciting times on the job and potentially exciting news coming out of the R&D department of NZ that may lead to some awesome new releases. You won't want to miss a moment of time with this Kiw...

Back in the can for another chat about all things, well not all things skydiving, but most things skydiving, Olga Naumova brings us up to speed on what it's like to be a competitive skydiver that can't compete, kicking people to vent frustration, glass doors, surf boards and too many hobbies, and how she puts the "L" in Lunatic Fringe every damn day.

 Back in the can to talk all about what has become nothing short of a global skydiving phenomenon, Zej M'ski sits down with Tracy Holman, Skydive Chicago's Events Manager and the powerhouse in charge of making your Summerfest dreams come true. With special drop in guests you won't want to miss, this is a great recap of one of skydiving most iconic events.

Back in command of the can, OG Ninja Ray Kubiak takes this face to face opportunity to sit down with Hall of Fame skydiver Amy Chmeleki. Kicking off her Skydiving at the ripe old age of 18, Amy made her first jump in 1995 and has never looked back. She is not only a long time member of the RedBull Air Force, but is now an organizer for Project 19, which highlights women's achievements and is a cel...

Not even on the radar. Not a part of any plan, or for that matter even an idea. Yet again just a random tandem skydive to check it off the list and with it another almost instantaneous member of the Lunatic Fringe. Brad Dimmock may not have had a life plan in mind, but he most certainly knew what he didn't want… A one-way ticket to Australia as a newly licensed skydiver started him down a path tha...

On another total Ninja episode, Mr. Ray Kubiak sits down with the legendary Mr. Martin Kristensen to talk all things Lunatic Fringe with everything from a modern day flying philosophy to starting a family and even a touch of Viking History on another entertaining episode with the Lunatic Fringe. 

In a follow-up to his incredible team mate and partner in all things air sports, please sit back and enjoy this re-released Lunatic Fringe with the one and only Mr. Craig Girard. With more than thirty eight years and over thirty-thousand skydives under his belt, you'd be hard set to find anyone on earth with more overall experience than Mr. Craig Girard.  Multiple World Title and World Record hold...

With a career as successful as hers and with so many titles and so many accomplishments, one would easily assume that she must have gone one hundred percent from day one, but that's not exactly how it happened... When skydiving first crossed Eliana Rodriguez's mind, it was a suggestion from her father, but sadly at an age too young to take advantage. Joining the military at the ripe old age of 17,...

Like many, a life plan was mapped out at quite a tender age, and a then very young Benji Brusasco started down the road of a classically trained professional musician. Like his grandfather before him, the saxophone was something he would become incredibly talented with, but... Like so many plans it was close to the mark, but it seemed to him there must be something more. A first time tandem given...

In this fantastic blast from the past, we sit down with three of the founding members of the almost infamous Monkey Claw Freely team, the self proclaimed best freefly team founded anywhere between Philadelphia and Atlantic City in the late 90's. Bert, Tim and Stuey laughingly take the opportunity to talk about the almost accidental forming of the team, its name, its roots which were deeply ingrain...

This is what happens when a seemingly innocent tandem skydive turns into an unexpected lifelong career. With 5 National titles and 2 World Cup titles under his belt, professional camera flier Jake Jensen sits down on this edition as the two take a stroll down memory lane, and chat all about his continuing adventure with the Lunatic Fringe.

Sometimes life goes pretty much exactly as we planned.   Off to university to study maths. Graduation and a job working in a field appropriate to a hard earned degree. Constantly in trouble for talking too much and letting loose with inappropriate jokes and/or sexual comments to unsuspecting co-workers. So yeah, not exactly to plan. Enter the new Laura Bamford. Professional skydiver and world trav...

    Over the next 3 weeks, Lunatic Fringe will be re-releasing 3 separate episodes featuring Mr. Matt Munting and Mr. Nicholas Scalabrino of The Matt and Nick Show. These two incredible skydivers, tunnel fliers and BASE professionals have, over the last few years shared some pretty funny, over the top and wonderful stories with us all through the podcast; having captured imaginations across the wo...

    Over the next 3 weeks, Lunatic Fringe will be re-releasing 3 separate episodes featuring Mr. Matt Munting and Mr. Nicholas Scalabrino of The Matt and Nick Show. These two incredible skydivers, tunnel fliers and BASE professionals have, over the last few years shared some pretty funny, over the top and wonderful stories with us all through the podcast; having captured imaginations across the wo...

    Over the next 3 weeks, Lunatic Fringe will be re-releasing 3 separate episodes featuring Mr. Matt Munting and Mr. Nicholas Scalabrino of The Matt and Nick Show. These two incredible skydivers, tunnel fliers and BASE professionals have, over the last few years shared some pretty funny, over the top and wonderful stories with us all through the podcast; having captured imaginations across the wo...

Certainly one of the more special episodes recorded for the Lunatic Fringe podcast, Bailey Ricci, a.k.a. The F**ckin' Daughter takes a seaside break between graduating law school and cramming for the bar exam to sit down and talk about what it was like growing up long distance from dad who spent all his work time jumping out of airplanes. From early memories of skydive Cross Keys as a seven-year-o...

Taking over the hot seat once again, the one and only Ray Kubiak sits down to talk to lifelong friends and the creators of Windy Tube, James Gillissenn and Matt Freese to talk all about how they got there start in indoor skydiving, and the future of Windy Tube. James is a former SOG with the US Air Force and is working now as an instructor at iFLY  Portland, and Matt, his partner in crime is a for...

From packing weight to competitor to helping pioneer ideas behind sustainable skydiving operations, Mr. Pete Alllum's career has spanned his entire life. As the child of two active jumpers, the drop zone lifestyle wasn't something Pete adjusted to, it was his entire world; yet regardless of how many years he has been in sport, his desire and addiction for our activities and lifestyle remains just...

Scotland is very well known for quite a few different things. Scottish whisky, the Scottish highlands, bagpipes, haggis, the Loch Ness Monster and of course Sean Connery; one thing it is most certainly not known for… Skydiving. So when you are a kid named Ewan Cowie and you're dreaming of all the different things your parents will try and keep you from doing, skydiving probably isn't on the list....

Back in the can for round 2, Mr. Albert Berchtold has made a few changes in life since last we spoke with him. Now the head honcho and officially the Executive Director of the United States Parachute Association, Albert has a prime seat for helping to shape the sport that we all know and love. Working hard to represent each and everyone of its members and its Board of Directors, he envisions a num...